Astros Sign Livan Hernandez

The Astros have signed Livan Hernandez to a minor league deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The Praver/Shapiro client would provide Houston with rotation depth if he makes the team out of Spring Training.

Hernandez posted a 4.47 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 42.4% ground ball rate in 175 1/3 innings for the 2011 Nationals. The 36-year-old has averaged 216 innings and a 4.44 ERA since 1998, his first full season as a big league starter, and has completed at least 175 innings in each of the past 14 seasons. He earned $1.25MM in 2011, but didn't obtain guaranteed money from the Astros.

Hard to believe he is only 36, feels like he has been around forever. Dude loves playing and just won’t go away, kinda have to respect that. This is not the first time he has signed a minor league deal, I expect him to claw his way back to the bigs sometime this season

I love how most people are laughing at this because it’s a signing by the Astros… If the Yankees signed this guy, most comments would be, “Low risk! High reward! Not bad for a minor league deal! I like it!” But since it’s the Astros, you guys are laughing at him and the team.

Grow up. So many immature people on this site (which has what kept me from posting the past few months).

Livo was awesome for Nats. He just chews up innings. And he loves to hit. Expect a .275 and 3 HR too! i agree seeing his 60 MPH stuff is one of the highlights and seeing players miss or pound it into their foot is funny. Some days are dreadful but Predictions. 9-15 4.89 ERA, 204 IP and a solid veteran to help Houston get ready for the future. Glad to see he is still in MLB

pretty smart move by the Astros. Lyles could use some innings at AAA being only 21, and they need an inning eater to save the very young bullpen workload especially if/when Wandy gets traded. If he does well, they can trade him at the all star break.
I don’t think he will get lit up at MMP. He has a very high ground ball rate. The Astros infielders don’t field so good though, so this could bring out a whole new set of problems though.

I’m pretty surprised as well that no one gave him a major league deal. I can think of at least a half dozen teams that could use him as somehting between a #3 and #5 starter. Obviously he would have likely come on the cheap too.

I like this move for the Astros. I also think that Livan is going to make a very good pitching coach someday. Dude has nine lives; anyone that can have any kind of success with the stuff he’s got left has to know pitching. He just has to.

Well I would say that’s a pretty good deal. The only time I watched him pitch last year he had a completely dominating game. Won the game with his pitching, batting, and base running. He picked off a guys, it really was one of the best performances from a pitcher that I had ever seen.

In nine career starts at Minute Maid, Livan is 6-2, with a 3.98 ERA and one complete game. Small sample size, sure, but certainly no indication that he’s “gonna get lit up” in Houston because of the park.

I think it all goes back to when Livan actually did have “stuff”. Even back then he didn’t rely on his stuff to get people out. What he DID do was to have faith/trust his stuff and pitched to the situation. He let his location, batter greed, and pitch selection do the work.

I’ll still never figure out how his arm just never seems to tire though.